Chapter 1

As I was getting ready for school, I heard my father summon me downstairs for breakfast. I hastily put on my backpack. "I'm coming," I yell, checking myself in the standing mirror.

My name is Cynthia De'Lacruz, and I'm in my last year of kindergarten, so you can guess my age; I'm only five years old, and I'm also my father's baby girl; he raised me alone since he said my mother is far away and will never see her again; I knew she was late, but my father never told me that.

My father, Lucas De'Lacruz, works in the mafia and always hides his business from me to protect me, but I knew and pretend I don't because he thought I was just a small girl.

I lace my shoes and proceed down the stairs to find my father waiting for me in the dining room. As soon as he sees me, a smile appears on his face, and he stands up, kisses my cheeks, and motions for me to take a seat.

"Here, princess, you should eat quickly so that you don't be late for school." He murmured this while lightly ruffling my hair. I nodded and chewed on my sandwich.

"Hmmm! "This is fantastic, Dad, I can't get enough of your sandwiches, they're always the best," I remarked, a smile spreading over my cheeks. "Dad, I adore you," I said.

"I adore you too, my darling girl," he whispered as he rushed over to pick me up. I'd finished my meal. I don't need a mother or anyone else because I'm always with my father. He's already my protector; after all, I don't know what a mother's affection feels like, but my father feels all the voids in my heart.

We drove from our house to my school, and I hurriedly jumped out of the car to say goodbye to my father. He called me back and handed me a box of chocolates for breakfast, and offered to pick me up right after school was out. I nodded and dashed to my class, my father standing nearby watching me till I entered.

The breakfast bell rang hours later, and everyone dashed out of the classroom. I couldn't since I was still drawing my father. I wanted to show him how pleased I was with his princess and baby girl in class. I was almost finished when I heard a wailing voice at the other end of the class; it was a little kid perhaps older than me, his head hunched onto his kneel, and I couldn't help but fold my sketching paper and mosey over to him.

"Hello," I murmured quietly. He didn't look up and kept going. "What's the matter with you?" I asked calmly, recalling how my father often asked me when I sobbed.

"Just leave me alone," he murmured, swatting my hand away.

I dashed off to get two chocolates from my backpack. "Will you be my friend?" I said as I extended my chocolate-covered hand to him. I noticed a bright smile on his face when he looked up. I nodded firmly after he paused for a moment. "I appreciate it," he said.

"What's the matter with you crying?" I inquired after taking a seat next to him.

"My father always abuses my mother, and she weeps a lot in pain," he remarked, as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"It's okay," I said, "I don't want to see my friend cry again." He grinned.

"How do I address you?" He inquired. "Cynthia," I said back.

"What age are you?" I inquired, intrigued.

"How about you, I'm seven years old?" He, too, inquired.

"I'm five years old," I explained, and we headed outside to play. "Here you go," he said.

"What?" I inquired, and he opened his palm for me to view, and what a lovely ring it was.

"Woah! This is stunning "I commended him.

"Yes, it is; I promise to give it to my close friend at school; I have one as well," he continued, showing me the same ring. "Thank you very much; I'll show it to my father when he arrives to pick me up. It's fantastic "I uttered, and as it was the end of breakfast, we both returned to our classes.

Finally, lessons ended, and I looked for my new acquaintance, but he was nowhere to be found. I glanced about the room but found nothing, As a result, I departed sadly, the students did not get to meet my father. I was going to unlock the car door when I overheard my father talking on the phone and couldn't help but listen in.

"I want to protect her, but in this mafia environment, I can't. My baby girl's life would be in jeopardy. Besides, what guarantee do I have that the boss will not brutally murder me? He assassinated John and Deere without remorse, despite their contributions to the organization. You're aware that Laura left him for me. So seeing me every day may serve as a reminder of that, and who knows what envy can do? It's safe to say I'm leaving town for good. I am even willing to abandon the country and continent for peace to rule "I overheard my father say.

"Listen, dude, I can't do it any longer, I'm sorry, my daughter needs a better life, and baby girl's life will be jeopardized." I'm not sure what the person on the other end said, but I heard my father's voice again. "Man, I knew the boss was the one who killed my wife, Laurence, but I'd never confronted him because I knew what he'd done for me, he was the reason I became a better person today and I will forever be indebted to him, but for peace, to reign, I will not endanger my princess life, so I'm leaving the mafia world in peace." I couldn't tell him I was eavesdropping, so I opened the car door, and Dad immediately ended the call.

"You're here, baby girl," he replied, smiling.

"Yes, dad, take a look at what I've got," I responded, holding up my left hand to show him my ring.

"Wow, where did you find this princess?" he inquired.

"A new friend gave it to me since he claimed I'm his special friend," I explain.

"How can I meet your new friend?" he inquired.

"I'll bring him to you tomorrow," I promised.

"Oh! It's lovely; I hope you express your appreciation."

"Yes, dad," I answered, telling him everything that had transpired at school. He drove me to the ice cream shop, where he ordered a tub for me, and we returned home. I was overjoyed as I played with my father's hair.

He got out of the car, and I got out too, our hands entwined. I was astonished to see our front door slightly open because Dad had previously shut it. before we left. 

"Dad," I called. "Yes, baby girl."

"Why is the front door slightly open? Did you have any visitors?" I enquired.

"No, baby girl, maybe I forgot to lock it," he stated.

"No, dad, you lock it," I said.

"I believe we were robbed after we must have left."

Baby girl is certainly tricky, feisty, and wiser than her age; sometimes I wonder if she's really five years old. She astounds me in so many ways. Lucas mutters to himself as he leads the way inside.

As I proceeded further into the living room, I noticed that everything was exactly as our nanny had left it in the morning, so I sighed in relief.

"Princess, go drop your backpack and change your clothes; let me make lunch for us," dad replied, and I nodded and dashed away.

Just as I was about to enter my room, a pistol was levelled at me. My throat quickly dries and my breathing becomes difficult. Who exactly is this man? I question myself as I slowly re-enter the stairs, the pistol on my brow.

A loud cry from my lips, and I could hear my father's voice pleading with them to leave me alone.

"Boss, please stop scaring my young girl, she's just a small girl." My father pleaded, and I went toward him, engulfing him in a hug; I was terrified. "Who are they, Daddy? They're terrifying me "My voice shakes in dread as I say to him.

"Don't worry, princess, they'll be gone soon," he whispered soothingly as I slid my arm around his waist.

"Don't worry princess, they will soon leave," he said soothingly and I wrapped my arm firmly on his body.

"Why are you doing this to me, boss?" My father yelled. "I merely wanted to resign peacefully and without causing you any trouble." He stated.

"Remember the rules, no one departs after they join," The enormous man, who my father refers to as boss, said this while sitting proudly on our black leather sofa, his hand resting on the arm seat and his knee crossed. His face was frightening, and it was almost obscured by his hat. Two powerful men on each side of him.

"I want to give my daughter the finest life she deserves, and remaining in this world will only endanger her life; I want to be the best father she can ever have after you murdered my wife, her mother." My father screamed, and tears threatened to pour from his eyes. "You think I don't understand how you betrayed me, Boss? I was your right-hand man, your closest confidante, constantly at your service, your puppet, and yet I was the one you stabbed in the back. Nonetheless, I still admire you now and then, I'm still indebted to you, and I'll be eternally grateful because you helped me become a better person today."

"Damn it, Lucas, I never betrayed you! You betrayed me in the first place, knowing I loved Laura but still marrying her; I intended to avenge this, which is why I appointed you as my right-hand man. Laura rejected me because of you, and no one does that to the Mafia King!" He was ecstatic. So killing her was retaliation, and I don't fucking regret it." He yelled,

"Are you fucking staying for the final time?"

"I don't change my word, I'm no longer interested," My father said, and I was yanked from his grasp.

His two arms were handcuffed to each side of the chair, his leg was also tied, and I couldn't help but yell for aid, only to be smacked to shut up. My father begs them to keep me out of it, but it all falls on deaf ears as I hear a gun being fired in my father's hand. My father was in pain and bleeding, so a sharp iron resembling scissors was pushed forward to my father's left hand. As I was forced to witness my father in pain, I sobbed silently.

"It's okay, baby girl, I'm going to be OK," he said through the throbbing pain. He coughs up blood.

"Will you still leave the world?" When he was asked again, I couldn't help but wish he had said no.

"Rather than witnessing my only child die in front of me, I let her watch me. I repeat I will not rejoin; only let me free, and I swear to leave this entire country forever "My father stated.

"Jay, finish the work." The said boss began, his back to us, and before I knew it, my father's finger was being tormented with sharp scissors. A big machine was placed in front of him, and his cloth was cut from his body with a knife.

"Set the machine onto his chest and slowly drill his heart out," the boss commanded, as my father began screaming in anguish.

"I raced to the boss and clutched his leg, pleading, "Please forgive my daddy," and he crunched to my level, "Oh Princess, it's too late," he muttered as he threw me away. I took one last look at my father; he was in a lot of pain, the machine was slowly boring into his heart, and I heard him say one last time, "I love you!" "Baby girl. "I love you too, Dad," I murmured, and I went to my knees. I couldn't look up because my tears wouldn't stop, so I closed my eyes and prayed for my father. As the machine went in, I could hear him scream.

A few minutes later, I was forced to glance up, and something red was forcefully handed to me, and it was rapidly beating.

"That's your father's heart," he says. When the boss spoke out, my breathing got laboured. I couldn't figure out what was going on in my throat, and I gazed at my father's lifeless body with a large hole in his chest, blood pouring out over the floor freely from his chest.

Could this be true?

"Shoot her," the boss said as he walked elegantly out of our living room, his men trailing behind him.

I stopped crying because I would no longer have to live with the portrait of my father's horrific murder.